Loren delicately weaves fiction with tradition with Biblical Truth. He imaginatively teases out the human narrative of the first century - the conversations that may have been, the scenes that may have unfurled, the emotions and the questions and the unforgettable soothing interaction of Christ with His Creation.

Decker's work is altogether symmetrical. At pivotal moments, thick in the heart of the story, he guides us to the voice of Christ singing David's Psalms. Then that same melodic voice sings to us in the closing. He interlaces the human tragedy - a crippled boy waiting at the docks for his father who'd never return - with Jesus' abounding love speaking to each of us so uniquely; years later, that blind boy is finally met, walks arm in arm, with Jesus, his Abba.

Loren Decker uses minimal space to remind us of the stark truth about Jesus: even the briefest of encounters with Christ, like Rufus had, leads to a life that is forever changed!

Gregory Kelley / UK